The present invention relates to power generation systems, and more particularly to a power generation system for meeting a variety of voltage requirements.
Generators are used to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. Depending on the application, a specific type of generator may be employed to generate a desired output signal. For example, a generator found on an automobile (commonly referred to as an alternator) converts mechanical energy provided by the vehicles combustion engine to provide electrical power to on-board electronics, as well as to charge the vehicle's battery. Typically, on-board electronics and the vehicle's battery are designed to require the same voltage (e.g., 12 volts (V)), which allows a single generator to provide the necessary electrical power.
However, in some applications the voltage requirement of one load may differ from the voltage requirement of another load. For example, a vehicle designed to provide refrigerated transportation requires high voltage alternating current (AC) power (e.g., 120 VAC) to operate the refrigeration system, and relatively low voltage (e.g., 12 VDC) to power on-board electronics and to charge the battery. In this situation, it would be desirable if a single generator were able to source both the high voltage AC load and the low voltage DC load. Furthermore, it would be desirable if the generator could accurately maintain the DC voltage provided to the DC load at a desired level, providing a high-quality DC voltage.